


Do I Know You?

by BundleOfScarves



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, BAMF!Zelda, Hurt/Comfort, Memory Loss, Zelda is a badass
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-05-27 18:41:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19386748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BundleOfScarves/pseuds/BundleOfScarves
Summary: Zelda is freed from Gannon's grasp to annihilate him as she has so desperately wished for these past 100 years. But she quickly finds out she cannot wish away all her problems. Her powers may be great but they do not always grant what she asks of them. And again it is Link who must suffer for her desires as she selfishly asks the Goddess to return Link's memories to him.Link loses his memories again and Zelda learns to protect her paranoid and weakened knight.





	1. A Wish

He knows that she is powerful a goddess born into mortal flesh, but never has he been so aware of the fact than in this moment. Her hand pressed up to the sky, a silent explosion of golden light, sucking the Calamity into its interior before compressing into a small dark orb that winked quickly from existence. Link stood, weapons ready, mouth agape at the sight. She was wreathed in ethereal light for a fleeting moment more before it faded gently and she turned around to look at him hesitantly. 

She spoke quietly about keeping watch over him, happy to see him triumph, smiling slightly at calling him the Hero of Hyrule. But his mind was busy drinking in the sight of her, feeling like for once he’s actually seeing her, not seeing through these memories that didn’t seem to belong to him. Her next words brought him back to reality however. 

“I must ask, do you really remember me?” Zelda’s voice quivered with worry and fear, her brows drawn together tightly. Link swallowed hard. He wasn’t sure exactly what she meant by it, but he had a feeling that he couldn’t say yes in good conscience. So he remained silent, pursing his lips together as he schooled his expression away. He wasn’t sure what to do. He froze. What if she decides to send him away because he’s not who she wants? He wouldn’t blame her, but it would still hurt. After a moment of silence he realizes that there are tears welling up in her eyes and she looks so distant and sad. 

She closes her eyes and sends a silent wish to the Goddess that he could have at least retained his memories, that way she would not be so alone. She hears a quiet reply from the goddess asking if that is what she truly wants. In a moment of sadness and selfishness, Zelda agrees that she wants him to remember. She feels the warmth of the divine energy flow through her veins as she opens her eyes to look upon Link. He didn’t seem to be aware that he had gone slack jawed again, but that was alright. Zelda reached out to him, closing the gap between them and cupped his cheek in her hand, wishing again, pushing the energy into his mind. 

Link’s reaction was immediate, a gasp, and then his eyes flitted about unfocused as he dealt with the barrage of images, memories, and information. Link felt as if his head as suddenly been lit on fire, but he couldn’t yell. He saw moment after moment but knew not what they meant to him. He remembered hundreds if not thousands of times that Zelda had cupped his cheek like his but each Zelda he saw was not the same. He saw hundreds of Zora, thousands of lifetimes, and as each rushed through his mind he wanted to stop it. He knew that something was wrong. This felt like something he should not see, or should not know. They only seemed to get faster and faster, more and more frenzied until at last he could get the word out of his mouth, and focus his eyes on _his_ Zelda. “STOP!” He yelled, and as her hand jerked away he collapsed in a heap his eyes rolling back into his head. 

Zelda had been watching as he looked past her into a space unseeable and had erratically looked around, jerking slightly here and there. She had felt the warm divine power flowing until his eyebrows began to knit together as if in pain, and his spasms grew much larger. Was she hurting him? She began to pull away, unsure suddenly of what she was doing. And in that moment he looked at her clearly, desperately yelling stop and pulling her hand away from his face. Alarmed she pulled her hand back, only to see his eyes roll up into his head and collapse like a sack of potatoes. Oh gods. What had she done? She took a few shaky breaths before gathering herself and looking around. They were alone on in the Hyrule plains. No one had seemed to see. She counted herself lucky and quickly bent down to see if he would wake, but had no luck. She had expected as much honestly, the divine powers were incredibly exhausting. 

Something about what had happened felt wrong though. She chewed on her lip for a moment as she considered the possibility that she had just hurt him terribly. No point in worrying about something that we don’t know yet, she reasoned with herself before attempting to sit Link up. He was out cold and something told her that they’d be camping until he woke up. She took a deep breath and hoisted him onto her back by his arms. His feet still drug on the ground but it was enough that she could move him, even if it was extremely slow going. Thankfully she wasn’t planning on going far. There were some old ruins nearby that offered the kind of shelter she was looking for. She steeled her mind from the terrifying possibility that he’d never wake up and she’d have to face this world on her own. She trudged onwards. 

It was nearly nightfall when they made it to a place that she deemed good enough to call camp. She checked the sheikah slate, and was elated to find that it had been stocked with all kinds of goodies. She summoned the pieces to make a fire and borrowed a sword of his to strike the flint. He didn’t even stir at the sound of a blade making contact and Zelda grew worried more so. She would have to keep watch over him. Knowing he would not wake for a battle, and probably would not be in a fit condition to fight regardless after their fight with the Calamity. Curious, Zelda summoned one of the bows from the slate, and drew it back as she sat near the fire. 

An arrow of divine energy crackled into existence on the bow ready to be released into the world, and Zelda’s eyes grew larger at the connotation. She had assumed that once the evil had been vanquished, her powers would fade, having done their duty for the cycle. It had not crossed her mind that perhaps they might stay and be weapons. She wondered what else she could do before glancing at Link’s unconscious form by the fire, and guiltily releasing the power without firing. She did her best to make him comfortable between the fire and the wall of the ruined building before selecting some clothing that was a bit more practical for their situation. She decided on the sheikah armour, delighting in how well it hid her in the shadows. A little less elegantly she scrambled to the top of the ruined wall, and sat guard over her sleeping knight. 

The next morning she was watching the sun arise when she hears rustling of cloth and a groan from below. She peered downward quietly watching as Link stirred. He seemed groggy and after a moment of squinting at the world, he pulled the sheikah slate towards him. 

Link blinked hard at the rectangular object in his hands. This was familiar. Why was this familiar. He looked around warily, spotting his sword and pulling that close as well. He doesn’t remember how he got here, in fact as he thinks hard he’s not sure who he is. He doesn’t know where he is. He froze. Slow breath in, slow breath out, he felt a presence above him and he stills even more so. He heard the scuffling of cloth shoes against stonework as they slid down the wall, landing on the other side of the fire with a small huff. The figure was decked head to toe in dark clothing, with a familiar eye insignia on the chest. Their face was partially covered but the woman looked at him with a quiet intensity, studying him. Sensing that she didn’t seem to be a threat yet, Link cautiously sat up more attentively, aware of the tense air between them. 

He cleared his throat awkwardly and with a curious look at the person across from himself he asked, “I’m sorry, do I know you?” 


	2. Damage Report

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda is shocked to realize just how much damage she did, and Link is having a hard time trusting her.

Zelda's mouth hung agape as she processed what he said. "Do you- do you know me?!?" She parroted back finally, still rooted in place as she looked at Link incredulously. His gaze on her was cautious and restrained.  _ Oh goddesses what have I done _ , Zelda thought to herself. Zelda took a moment to take a deep breath in and out, straightening her posture slightly as she considered how to approach this. 

"How much do you remember?" She asked more gently. The silence that hung between them sits heavy on her heart as his eyes tightened in concentration. After more than a few moments he finally spoke. "I know that these are mine," he held the slate and master sword closer. "I know that this place feels familiar." He stopped abruptly, and looked around at the ruined building with a careful eye. Eventually his intense stare landed back on Zelda and it was all she could do, not to visibly gulp. "Who am I?" He asked simply, pain in his eyes. It took Zelda's breath away that she could have done this to him. In an instant she hated herself for her selfish nature. Why couldn't she have just left it alone? But he's waiting and she carefully sat opposite him before speaking. 

"Your name is Link. You are a swordsman and a good person. You travel far and wide helping people with difficult tasks. You and I were traveling together and have just defeated a rather large enemy." Zelda watched him carefully for signs of recognition and was saddened to see nothing visible. Link stared at her quietly, guarded expression as he processed the information. He pointed to the sheikah slate, the question inherent. "That is a sheikah slate. It can store things for us and open certain doors." Link looked at the small item curiously. After a moment however she felt his eyes on her again. "Who are you?" He asked quietly. It felt like being dealt a terrible blow to her stomach and she wasn’t sure that she did a good job masking the feeling on her face. "I am Zelda, I'm your traveling companion." Her voice shook a small bit as she wavered internally on how much to tell him. His eyes narrowed as he considers her. 

After a few moments of silence, Zelda got to her feet and Link made a motion to follow her before immediately sitting back down. "Are you okay Link?" Zelda asked worriedly. Link glared up at her for a moment and she was quite taken aback by it. He put his head in his hands after trying and failing again to get to his feet. Miserably he mumbled, "too dizzy, too weak." If Zelda felt bad before, now she felt terrible. "Oh, I suppose so. Well that's okay I'm going to go hunt us up some food. Rest is what you need now I think." Zelda excused herself and practically flees into the nearby woods. She could still see the little wisp of smoke from the fire and the slumped form of Link from where she starts her hunt, worried about leaving him alone too much. 

Link watched her slink away guiltily into the nearby woods and he lets his shoulders relax a little bit. There were a few things he was sure of. He was certain that his name was indeed Link, and that he had completed a great battle not long ago. But he was very unsure of this woman. He trusted that her name was Zelda but the rest of what she told him seemed somewhat suspect. He had to remember. Something was wrong. He could feel it in his bones. He wanted to demand she tell him everything but to be honest with himself he's in no condition to defend himself should this strange lady turn on him. Perhaps it is better to appease her over time and weasel a truth out of her. He knew a few truths of his own. He knew that whatever happened to him was not normal. It couldn't be. Not when he turned his head quickly and the world spun faster than it should. He knew that she could tell him a lot more, but seemed wary of doing so. He wondered if he really was her traveling companion. He pulled the sword in its sheath closer to himself. 

The sword seemed to almost hum in response and Link stared at it dumbfounded. Did he have a sword that could make noise? That didn't make any sense, he couldn't. The hum of the sword pitched up and down a few times as if it were singing. His head still felt like it was spinning and the sword making sounds was decidedly not helping. He took his hand off the sword to rub at his face, as if to push the pain away from behind his eyeballs. The singing stopped when let go of the special blade. Odd, he thought to himself. 

He hears a faint crackle of energy as Zelda fires of shots in the nearby woods. Something in him grows anxious at the sound and he grasps the sheathed master sword so tightly that his knuckles turn white. His mind races with possibilities. What would happen to him if she was fighting something dangerous and she didn't win? He knew with startling certainty that even the weakest of monsters could likely be the end of him in this state. He wasn't able to put his finger on why but he believed that she was a very capable fighter. He had faith that she'd do fine but the realisation that he was powerless to save himself if anything were to happen was still startling. Link squints at the fire trying to think past the growing pain behind his eyes, when he wakes up and it's dark out. 

He fell asleep or perhaps just passed out? He wasn't super sure which but it seemed that hours had passed. There was a pot over the fire that hadn't been there before, and some stew was there staying warm. It smelled delicious. Link groggily craned his neck up to peer up at Zeldas perch above the camp. But she wasn't there. He sluggishly fished his arm out of the layered makeshift blankets on him and rubbed at the sleep in his eyes. Each motion felt as if he was almost underwater, taking far more effort than it should. Link felt the need to yawn rising in his chest but stifled it, unsure of if he was safe to make that much noise or not. Just then the grass nearby rustled and Link reached for his sword. He grabbed the hilt of the sword but hesitated to pull it, unsure of if he'd be able to stand and truly wield it. 

After a quiet tense moment, Zelda stepped out of the brush and into the firelight holding some large somewhat dirty carrots. It didn't take her long at all to notice Link's blue eyes on her again. She glanced up and met his eyes briefly as she used a splash of water to rinse the carrots down. He looked a bit bewildered again but it was paired with a bit of bedhead, his hair sticking straight up on one side. He had no concept of how long he had slept but he was alarmed that he had let himself fall asleep while she had been away. What if something had attacked? Link pulled his knees up to his chest slowly, staring into the mesmerizing fire. 

Zelda herself had been somewhat worried to realize that Link had passed out while she wasn’t around. She didn’t trust that he’d be able to defend himself, not right now. He couldn’t stand up yet, too weak and dizzy. Zelda had run through all the fables and legends of old her mother had told her growing up. None of them mentioned what the princess and the hero did after their great battle. And certainly none of them mentioned the princess keeping her powers. But perhaps those parts of the story had just been lost to time? Zelda shook her head at the thought. They were on their own now, no prophecy to guide them, no ancient texts and shrines to point the way. Zelda had to figure out how to fix the problem she had made on her own. 

There’s a small grunt from beside the fire and Zelda focused back on the present to see Link holding his head in his hands again. His face scrunched up, he rubbed his temples vigorously, as if to loosen up the ache that seemed to be resting there. He stopped after a few moments, just as Zelda was finishing putting the carrots into the stew. It was starting to smell pretty good. Link wondered again if she was trustworthy. He supposed he didn’t have much of a choice but to trust her. She seemed to know a lot about him, but was hesitant to tell him much. Things had started to seem familiar pretty quickly, such as the smell of such a stew thankfully. But he was sure that he was missing something pretty big. Some swordsman he must have been to have lost a battle so terribly that he lost all his memories as well. Link sighed deeply, catching the attention of Zelda again. 

“Everything okay?” she asked quietly. She kept her eyes on the stew as she stirred for the most part, remembering that Link used to be the most honest and open when he thought she wasn’t looking at him. Her question earned her another deep sigh and some silence before the reply. 

“I’m confused about how I lost my memories.” Link finally said, his voice no louder than a whisper. But to Zelda it felt loud and it made her freeze momentarily. She thought for a bit, trying her best not to panic too much. She didn’t want to frighten him, and she didn’t want to overwhelm him either, but mostly she realized that was certainly not courageous enough to see his face fall when he realized that she did this to him. So she decided to delay that question a bit. 

“I don’t think you’re really ready to hear it yet Link. Let’s try to get back your better memories first. It might make your illness worse.” Zelda said diplomatically. Link’s eyes narrowed on her back as she continued to stir the stew nonchalantly. He frowned but didn’t press her further for answers. So he had been right to assume she was trying to hide things from him. Perhaps they hadn’t even been traveling partners as she had said? Link’s mind raced with possibilities, bordering on panic as he contemplated what little he knew of the world, with this woman who seemed intent on holding his previous life hostage. 

Eventually they ate in a tense silence, Link refusing to talk for the rest of the night and Zelda unsure of how to get Link to trust her a little more. Link ate as much as she would give him of the soup, excited that the taste was as good as the smell. He made quick work of his portions and immediately curled up to go to sleep, trying to keep the dizziness at bay with some rest. But his sleep was anything but restful Zelda noted. He tossed and turned and groaned, gripping at his head as if to hold it all together. Eventually she couldn’t listen to him anymore and decided to walk the perimeter of their camp. She had cleared out plenty of monsters during the day so she wasn’t too worried. She knew she wouldn’t be gone long, and it would give her some space to think about how to help him. She was wary to use her powers on him again, there had to be something that could help him. He wasn’t beyond hope, that’s for sure. She wondered if the shrine of resurrection could work a dual purpose. It’s where he had woken up the first time he had lost his memories. Perhaps it could jog his memories now? 

Zelda’s mind ceased to wander however and she heard a yell from camp that sounded a lot like Link! She turned and sprinted back to the wall that had her perch, just above Link’s sleeping spot. She scaled the wall with grace in the moonlight and drew her bow as she crested the top, searching for a threat, and seeing none. After a moment she looked down to see a very shaken looking Link, holding up his shirt and staring in horror at the splayed burn marks across his chest from the guardians 100 years ago. He looked like he was shaking like a leaf, and hadn’t even noticed Zelda. 

She wondered if he ought to let him be alone for now, but he looked so terrified that she couldn’t turn away. She clambered down and approached from the front of their little camp, as to not scare him with a sudden appearance behind him. She came near him as she might have a wounded animal, getting down on his level near the ground and trying to make sure he saw her well before she got near. But his eyes were far away again as his chest heaved up and down with deep panicked breaths. He didn’t seem to be seeing the here and now, as opposed to a land that didn’t exist. 

“Link, are you alright? It’s just a dream, it’s not real.” Zelda said gently as she got even closer, unsure of if she should reach out and touch him or not. He didn’t seem to hear her, and seemed to look right through her as if she was a ghost. It eerily reminded Zelda of her first few years being Ganon’s jailor, that she could touch the land and watch the people, but they couldn’t see her. A small shiver ran down her spine at that, but she shook it off and pressed forwards. 

“Link, I need you to come back to the present! Link, please wake up!” Zelda said louder, and reached out to grab Link’s arm. The instant that she grabbed his arm, she could see through his eyes, the pain of getting seared alive by the guardians, of getting squashed by large flat faced black creatures, of drowning in a vast open sea, and many many more deaths all at once. Suddenly they cut off as Link wrenched his arm out of her grip, and scrambled back and away from her as quickly as he could. He held his arm like her touch had burned him and watched her with wide eyes. Zelda met his eyes with her own, just as wide as his. 


End file.
